Exit door opening device



July 29, 1969 w, a BROTHERS ET AL 3,458,225

EXIT DOOR OPENING DEVICE Filed Sept. 11, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig./

William 8. Brothers John M. Sfu/ew'l/e INVENTORS BY @awaoifi' WWW July 29, 1969 w, BRQTHERS ET AL 3,458,225

EXIT DOOR OPENING DEVICE Filed sept. 11. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 12} Fig-4 Fig.5

59 William 8. Brothers 3'! 5 John W. Stu/ew'I/e INVENTORS /V 68 76 7a M United States Patent US. Cl. 292-92 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An outswinging door wherein the usual inner turnbutton knob of a cylindrical-type lock is replaced by a collar-like adapter sleeved over the inside lock spindle. This adapter turns the spindle when a trip finger on the adapter is actuated by one of the fingers of a rockable V-type trigger. The other finger is actuated by a freeturning thrust roller carried by the spring-returned end of an arm or lever carried by one end of a pivoted bar.

This invention relates, broadly construed, to a horizontal pressure responsive bar for use on the interior of an outwardly swinging door and has to do, more particularly, with a bar having fixed lateral arms at its ends and wherein the arm at the end adjacent the knobless spindle of the lock is pivotally mounted in a box-type housing or enclosure and is operatively connected to the spindle by novel motion transferring means.

An objective, generally speaking, is to replace the in side knob of an outswinging door with an adapter which is applicably fitted over the inside spindle and is such in construction that it can be actuated by simplified mechanism confined in a box-like or an equivalent housing, and wherein said mechanism is manually controlled by a door-mounted horizontal bar structurally analogous to commonly used panic bars.

Briefly the aforementioned adapter comprises a collar or sleeve which is such in construction that it can be fittingly sleeved over the aforementioned inside spindle. It is provided on its interior with a laterally projecting spindle turning stud and is further provided on its exterior with an outstanding finger-like trip pin. The casing or housing is of box-like construction and has an open outwardly disposed side which is bolted or otherwise fitted in place against the interior surface of the door in a manner to enclose and conceal the spindle and also the adapter. A lever is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a coacting interior wall surface of a side wall of the housing and has an upper component part extending out through a slot provided therefor and is fixedly connected with a manually actuatable pivotally mounted bar. A lower component or part of the lever depends into the space of the housing and terminates in a free swivelling thrust applying roller. A spring is interposed between the housing and the lower component and is located below the pivot point of the lever. Novel trigger means is rockably or pivotally mounted within the confines of the housing and is cooperable with the trip finger and roller, respectively.

It is to be stated at the outset that while the invention is being herein stressed as an attachment, it is within the purview of the concept to so construct the over-all adaptation that it may constitute an original installation, and may be used as a convenient exit device as well as a panic exit device.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the ac- 3,458,225 Patented July 29, 1969 'which shows the lock, the outside knob and the inside housing and how it is mounted to permit the usual push button to project to assume an accessible position.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view wherein all of the essential component parts are shown in interrelated relationship.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view with parts in section and elevation taken approximately on the plane of the vertical section line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 4 but which shows the manner in which the normally inactive trigger has been moved from its normal position to its latch bolt retracting position.

And FIG. 6 is a horizontal section on the plane of the section line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

Referring first to FIG. 1 the interior surface of the outswinging door 8 is denoted by the numeral 10. The exit device, construed as a unit, is denoted by the numeral 12 and comprises a horizontal rod or bar 14 provided with a first arm 16 at the left having a hinging eye 18 hingedly mounted between the ears 20 of the fixed bracket 22. The arm 24 at the right constitutes and provides the aforementioned operating lever. Continuing with the description of this lever and with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 it will be seen that it is of the shape shown and comprises an upper component portion 26, a lower component portion 28 the lowermost end of which is provided with a journal 30 carrying a free-turning thrust roller 32. The median portion 34 of this lever is hingedly mounted as at 36.

Before continuing with the description of the arm or lever 24 it is desirable to refer again to the door 8 whose frame member 38 is provided with a lock 40 installed as usual and having a projectable and retractable latch bolt 42. The exterior surface of the door is denoted at 44 and the outside knob at 46. With reference now to FIG. 3 it will be seen that the usual inside knob (not shown) is omitted but in practice would be mounted on the hollow inwardly projecting spindle 48 projecting beyond the fitting 50. The side of the spindle shown in FIG. 3 is provided with a slot 52 which is open, as usual, at the end 54. The usual projectable and retractable and turnable push button of the spindle is denoted at 56. It follows that when the inside knob has been removed the structural parts appear substantially as illustrated in FIG. 3.

In practice and after the knob has been removed it is replaced by a suitable adapter 58 comprising an ap propriate collar 60 with reduced end portions as at 62. This collar is provided on its interior with a laterally projecting stud 64 which is fitted into the slot 52. The slot 52 then becomes a keyway and the stud 64 is keyed therein sothat when rotation is imparted to the adapter it is also imparted to the spindle 48. The peripheral surface to the left in FIG. 3 of the collar is provided with an appropriately constructed and shaped trip finger 66.

With further reference to FIG. 3 it will be seen that the aforementioned housing is of box-like form and is denoted by the numeral 68. This housing is open at the side thereof which contacts the interior surface of the door. When the housing is installed it is held in place by bolt and nut means denoted generally at 70 in FIGS. 4 and 5. The housing has a front wall 72 provided with an opening 74, has a top wall 75, a bottom wall 76- and side walls 78. The top wall is provided near one end with a clearance slot 80 for the aforementioned upper component 26 of the lever 24. The openings 82 provide holes for passage of the aforementioned bolts 70. The numeral 84 designates a cup-shaped fitting which is conveniently referred to as an escutcheon plate. This plate is suitably fixed in place in the manner shown, for example, in FIG. 2 and the aperture therein is lined up with the opening 74 to permit passage of the then accessible safety button 56.

With further reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 and more particularly to the trip lever 24 it will be noted that an appropriate spring 86 is provided and is interposed between the interior of the front wall 72 and the lower half portion or component 28 of the lever 24. The purpose of the spring is to maintain the lever in its normal but ready-to-function position.

It will be further evident from FIGS. 4 and 5 that the numeral 88 designates a motion transferring trigger which is provided with supporting and pivoting means in the manner shown in particular in FIG. 6. More specifically this trigger comprises a substantially V-shaped member which has an eye 90 which is pivoted on the pivotal member 92 which is assembled and held in place by nuts or the like as denoted at 94 in FIG. 6. The trigger has an upper arcuately curved arm 96 which is in a position to engage the aforementioned trip pin 66 and which as a matter of fact is in engagement therewith in the manner shown in FIG. 4. It also includes an arcuate downwardly directed push arm 98 which is cooperable with the aforementioned free turning thrust roller 32.

The aforementioned housing 68 properly encloses the mechanism just described with the mechanism confined in the space between the adapter and the housing wall 78 as brought out in FIG. 6.

It will be evident that the normal or ready-to-use position of the panic bar 12 is that shown in FIG. 1. It will be further evident that by exerting pressure against the horizontal bar in a now well-known manner the lever 24 will come into play whereupon the dependent component 28 will actuate the roller 32 against the tension of the return spring 86. It follows that as the arm 96 moves down it engages the trip pin 66 and imparts angular rotation to the adapter 58 which in turn operates the spindle 48. As the thrust roller 32 moves from right to left in FIG. 4 it exerts pressure against the arm 98 which in turn rocks the arm 96 down to exert pressure on the trip pin 66. An examination of the normal position shown at the left in FIG. 4 and comparison of the same with the position of the mechanism shown in FIG. 5 will clearly show how the mechanism comes into play and how the spring means serves automatically to return the same as well as the horizontal bar to the normal position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

A cylindrical type lock is shown and the adapter is made for this type lock; but by changing the adapter to fit the inside spindle of any knob lock, the exit device will turn the spindle and release the latch.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, an outswinging door, one marginal frame member of which is provided with a built-in lOck embodying a projectable and retractable latch bolt and having indoor and outdoor spindle members operably connected with said latch bolt, said outdoor spindle memher being equipped with an outdoor knob, an indoor adapter sleeved over the indoor spindle member and operatively connected thereto in a manner to turn the spindle member in a direction to retract and release the latch bolt, a horizontal bar bridging an interior side of said door, said bar provided at its respective ends with rigid pivotally mounted angularly projecting arms, one of said arms constituting an adapter actuating lever and being pivoted intermediate its ends at a place operatively proximal to said indoor spindle member, manually controllable operating means for said lever and said adapter, respectively, said indoor spindle member being hollow and provided with at least one longitudinal slot which is open at an inward end and constitutes a keyway, said adapter comprising a collar-like sleeve which is provided on its interior with a stud providing an assembling and keying detent which when keyed in place in said keyway serves to turn said indoor spindle member, said adapter being provided on an exterior peripheral surface with a trip pin with which the aforementioned operating means is oriented and associatively cooperable, said operating means comprising (1) a pivotally mounted V-shaped trigger, one arm of which is releasably engageable with said trip pin (2) a freely turnable thrust roller carried by-an end portion of said lever and movable through an arcuate path and having camming and pressure applying engagement with the other arm of said trigger and (3) spring means automatically holding said lever and roller in a normally inactive position and returning the same to said position when said operating means is not being used.

2. The combination defined in and according to claim 1, and in combination therewith, a housing attached to an indoor surface of said door and enclosing said indoor spindle member, said adapter, and said operating means and spring means, said housing embodying a front Wall, top and bottom walls, and side walls, said lever and said trigger being pivotally mounted on an interior surface of one of said side walls.

3. The combination defined in and according to claim 2, and wherein said top wall is provided with a clearance slot for a portion of the lever which passes through and is movable in said slot, said front wall having an opening for passage of an accessibly operable buttonequipped end portion of the indoor spindle member, said adapter sleeve having reduced terminal sleeve portions aligned and cooperating with said front wall opening.

4. For pivoted use in conjunction with a pivoted bar on an outswinging door having a lock with latch bolt retracting spindles, the outer spindle provided with a hand knob and the inside spindle having no hand knob, and wherein the last-named spindle is equipped with a telescoping manually manipulable turn button; an improved device expressly designed and adapted to replace the inside knob comprising, an adapter collar adapted to be fittingly sleeved over said inside spindle, said adapter collar being provided on its interior with a collar connecting and spindle turning stud and further provided on its exterior with an outstanding finger-like trip pin, a housing capable of being fixedly mounted on the door in a position to enclose and conceal the spindle and adapter, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a coacting wall of said housing with an upper component extending out through a slot for connection to a manually actuatable horizontal bar, and a lower component depending into the confines of said housing and terminating in a free swivelling thrust applying roller, a spring interposed between said housing and said lower component and located below the pivot point of said lever, and a trigger pivotally mounted in said housing and cooperable with said trip finger and roller, respectively.

5. The device defined in and according to claim 4, and wherein said trigger comprises a V-shaped rocker and embodies upper and lower fingers, the upper finger being lined up and releasably engageable with said trip pin, and the lower finger being cooperable with and releasably engaged by said thrust roller, the vertex portion between said fingers being pivotally mounted on an interior surface of a predetermined wall of said housing.

6. The device defined in claim 5, and wherein said housing is box-like, open on its outward side and has a centrally apertured front Wall, top, bottom and side marginal walls, and said top wall having a clearance slot for the upper component of said lever.

7. The device defined in and according to claim 4 and wherein said housing embodies a front wall having a 10 centralized opening of a size and shape for oriented coordination with said turn button, and said opening serving to permit a significant operating portion of said button to project for ready use therethrough.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,266,829 8/1966 Gosser et al. 29292 FOREIGN PATENTS 532,554 1/ 1941 Great Britain. 532,580 1/1941 Great Britain.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner ROBERT L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 70-92 

